<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Mirror, mirror by NexusOfDerek</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30044322">Mirror, mirror</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/NexusOfDerek/pseuds/NexusOfDerek'>NexusOfDerek</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Good Place (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Post-Finale</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-16 01:55:54</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,867</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30044322</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/NexusOfDerek/pseuds/NexusOfDerek</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The fic starts in S02 and jumps into an alternative finale.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Michael (The Good Place)/Eleanor Shellstrop</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Mirror, mirror</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>- You shine.</p>
<p>- Say what?</p>
<p>- Your hair shines, man. In the sun, I mean. You kinda look like a barbershop ad now. Or like an immortal being, I guess.</p>
<p>Eleanor and Michael were sitting on the sunlit terrace of her otherwise hostile house sharing their impressions of the eventful morning the whole crew had just had. Chidi had left a few minutes ago, eager to prepare for tomorrow's class and finally delve into Kant's journal. Bribe or no bribe, Michael's present made his hands tremble a little as he was taking it home. The conversation on the terrace gradually turned into a surprisingly comfortable silence, the kind one can only experience with someone they had known for quite a while. The amount of shrimp Eleanor had consumed was borderline bulimic, but she intended for the shrampies and her to become one and smiled happily, melting into her chair. The shadow made the wall and the giant cacti beside her look blue, and Eleanor's skin seemed peach-colored against it, which she noticed looking at her arm. She glanced at Michael. It was then that she murmured lazily:</p>
<p>- You shine.</p>
<p>- Say what?</p>
<p>- Your hair shines, man. In the sun, I mean. You kinda look like a barbershop ad now. Or like an immortal being, I guess.</p>
<p>- Oh, er… thanks, Eleanor.</p>
<p>Michael chuckled.</p>
<p>- This suit I got is rather paunchy, but the haircut will do, I suppose.</p>
<p>- Dude, stop fishing for compliments. You're insanely tall, broad-shouldered, and your jawline is to die for! Eleanor squinted. - Oh wow, I've never thought it was possible for me to get drunk on shrimp, but I guess I was wrong, wasn't I?</p>
<p>- Had I known it was possible, I would've surely used it somehow as a scenario for one of the tortures, - Michael broke into a broad grin. It would be countless Bearimies later that they would remember this conversation.</p>
<p>Eleanor felt incomplete and had no idea why. She had helped organize children's afterlife tests, Mindy was on her path to the Good Place, and Michael was about to start his life on Earth as a human being, which he had been dreaming of for ages. She had even let Chidi go and made peace with it. Yet, something was missing. Like the last piece of the jigsaw puzzle lost after you have been doing it for thousands of Bearimies, or a skipped line in the lyrics of your favorite song, or a high five left hanging, it just was not right. And then it finally struck her.</p>
<p>- Eleanor, I'm so happy to see you! Janet's been instructing me about my future on Earth. In fact, she refuses to let me go there until I pass her test. I could use a distraction…</p>
<p>- Yeah, er…I'm lucky I got to talk to you before you left. Michael, I'm afraid, I won't let you leave before you do one last thing for me.</p>
<p>- Oh. You've found it, haven't you? The thing that you've been looking for to feel ready.</p>
<p>- I think I have, yes. I want you to give me all my memories back. You did it for Chidi, and it changed him more than anything we'd experienced before that moment. I hope it does the trick for me because I have a feeling this missing piece is somehow hidden in the memories of my afterlife that I don't have now.</p>
<p>- Really? The memories of the reboots? – Michael frowned, - Frankly, Eleanor, I'm not sure there's much value in them for you as they are mostly me being an ash hole to you guys. I've shown you your love story, which was the most imortant part.</p>
<p>- Dude, you really don't need any Janet's tests. Your mainsplaining skills alone are enough for you to be the average white male. How about you let me decide what was important in my own memories? – Eleanor felt nervous for some reason, and it made her lash out, - Sorry. I mean, it's what I want, and I'm sure.</p>
<p>- Well, okay then. Sit down. You might feel a little dizzy.</p>
<p>Eleanor sat there looking straight at him, afraid to blink, as if she could miss an important detail if she closed her eyes for a millisecond. Though, when Michael snapped his fingers, she did blink out of reflex. The moment she opened her eyes, an assertive yet scared 'no' fell out of her. Michael panicked.</p>
<p>- Eleanor, are you all right? I should've waited some more, idiot! Did you just change your mind in the last second?</p>
<p>- No. No, I didn't, don't worry. I'm… fine. I think.</p>
<p>Michael exhaled loudly, relieved.</p>
<p>- Then what was that about? That 'no' you've just said?</p>
<p>- It was me trying to stop you.</p>
<p>- You don't want me to leave for Earth? But Eleanor…</p>
<p>- It was me trying to stop you from sacrificing yourself back there at the tunnel in the Bad Place. When you gave your pin to me.</p>
<p>- Oh... Well, I learned from the best. You were the first to show me how it's done during the very first reboot. You did the same thing for Chidi.</p>
<p>- I never got to thank you, man.</p>
<p>- You really don't have to, Eleanor. Everything turned out perfect, didn't it?</p>
<p>The last few words came out in a quiet mumble because Eleanor did not let him finish the sentence. Instead, she hugged him as hard as she could, burying her cheek in his chest. 'Thank you, Michael. I love you, man.'</p>
<p>- I love you too, Eleanor. I would do the same thing time and time again if I had to.</p>
<p>- I know.</p>
<p>He left the next day, hopeful and exited. Eleanor felt her anxiety go. However, she decided to stay a little longer. Not because there was something she had to do to earn the feeling of bliss necessary for going through the door, but because she chose to. All these regained memories were so precious that Eleanor needed to cherish them and live with them for a while before letting it all go forever. It was an unfamiliar need, and it made her wonder if it was what being elderly felt like. When you are an octogenarian on Earth, you have buried quite a few friends and family members and experienced loss in all its shapes and forms. The real treasure you have gathered by this moment is your memories. Well, if you are lucky enough not to have Alzheimer's or something of the sort. Eleanor looked at her reflexion in the mirror and saw a young woman who could not have possibly lived through the same events as Eleanor had.</p>
<p>- Janet!</p>
<p>- Hi Eleanor!</p>
<p>Janet's resting expression had changed a lot over the last few Bearimies. She still had her open and sincere smile and her friendly melodic voice, but you could see it in her eyes: everything that had happened to her was in there. Her friendships, her love, her loss, her worries, her hopes, her joy, her limitless knowledge – it was all in her look. Eleanor smiled.</p>
<p>- Girlfriend, you are beautiful!</p>
<p>- Thanks! Right back at you, Eleanor!</p>
<p>- Janet, I'd like to ask you to do something unusual for me. I want to change my appearance.</p>
<p>- Like a makeover? That could be really entertaining according to the opinion of the vast majority of females.</p>
<p>- More like plastic surgery kind of thing.</p>
<p>- Oh. What do you have in mind? And why, if you don't mind me asking?</p>
<p>- Well, you see, I've realized that I feel much older than I look. I think I would like to see myself a few human decades older to match the way I feel. You know, wrinkles and all.</p>
<p>- Wow, that's an unusual request indeed, Eleanor. People generally prefer to see themselves much younger than the age they died on Earth.</p>
<p>- It figures. Being young is great. But I really really want it. Can you do it for me?</p>
<p>- Yes, of course.</p>
<p>- Oh, and one more thing. I want my hair all white.</p>
<p>'I'm gonna be a real boy!' said Pinocchio on the screen. Eleanor was surrounded by children watching the old cartoon and enjoying it as much as they were, if not more. Janet appeared with a quiet bing and whispered:</p>
<p>- Eleanor, remember that thing that you wanted to know about? It happened.</p>
<p>- He passed the test?</p>
<p>- He did, yes. Just a few moments ago.</p>
<p>- Thank you, Janet. You haven't told him, have you?</p>
<p>She found him standing in front of the desk in his old office, facing the wall with four photographs of his favorite humans.</p>
<p>- Hi, Michael.</p>
<p>The voice sounded somewhat familiar. He turned around. Her features looked familiar too.</p>
<p>- You don't recognize me, do you?</p>
<p>She smiled.</p>
<p>- It can't be…</p>
<p>- Yep, it absolutely is.</p>
<p>She had the same look in her eyes. No matter how much older she wanted her face to be, her eyes gave her identity away. The same young and mischievous look.</p>
<p>- Eleanor! – he gasped and almost ran forward to pick her up and crush her in his ridiculously long arms, - I thought you'd left! Why didn't Janet or Tahani tell me?! I missed you so much! You have no idea how happy I am to see you again! Wait, why didn't you go through the door? You sounded so sure the last time I saw you… You look different! But it's you!</p>
<p>Michael was rambling. He started to loosen his hug a little, and Eleanor's feet slowly returned onto the floor, but her arms were still wrapped around him. Wihtout letting go of him, she began to reply to his questions one by one.</p>
<p>- I asked Tahani and Janet not to tell you, I'm sorry. I wanted it to be a surprise.</p>
<p>- Oh it definitely is!</p>
<p>- I decided to stay some more because I felt like it. I enjoy remembering stuff now almost as much as actually doing things. It turns out I have a lot of warm memories to bask in. I have ol' girls' nights with Tahani, Janet, Mindy and Gen. Plus, I spend a lot of time with the kids here now, believe it or not. They happen to like this cool grandma look or something. The added bonus to this staying thing is that I got to see you and hug you again after your incredible adventure. I missed you too. So much.</p>
<p>- Oh Eleanor…</p>
<p>- As for the last one… Well, the silver vixen look is all the rage now in the Good Place, so I've got to keep up, you know.</p>
<p>Michael chuckled.</p>
<p>- It's very becoming.</p>
<p>His voice became low and quiet as he calmed down.</p>
<p>- And I think I get it. After everything that's happened, you felt different on the inside, so you wanted to look the part.</p>
<p>- You got me. Guilty as charged.</p>
<p>Eleanor's hands finally slid off of Michael, and she put them up jokingly for a second as if she was giving in. Taking a small step back, she squeezed his right forearm.</p>
<p>- Enough about me. Why don't you finally tell me everything about this human life of yours? Let's have a walk, shall we?</p>
<p>Suddenly speechless, he just smiled and nodded.</p>
<p>The breeze touched their faces lightly. They were sitting on a bench, his arm on her shoulder. Michael seemed to have regained his speech.</p>
<p>- So, you're saying you enjoyed it?</p>
<p>- Eleanor, it was amazing. The best present anyone could have possibly given me. Life is amazing. I mean, I did discover quite a few unpleasant facts about my body, but it was all worth it.</p>
<p>- Unpleasant as in health problems?</p>
<p>- Well, yes, the joint pain, the blood sugar, the cholesterol and such. It's crazy how many pills an elderly person needs to take simply to feel ten percent less horrible and be strong enough to get out of bed in the morning. And then you find out that the heart pill makes certain parts of your body useless, so if you need them to start working again, you need to take the blue pill…</p>
<p>Eleanor burst into giggles, but cut herself off right away.</p>
<p>- Oh, right, I'm such an idiot! I haven't asked you about the most important stuff! Spill it!</p>
<p>- You mean the romantic relationships?</p>
<p>- Wow, relationships, plural! Were you a player, Michael?</p>
<p>- Oh come on, don't make it even harder for me to talk about. I met two women, both were gorgeous. The first one was my guitar teacher, by the way. I can actually play the guitar now.</p>
<p>Eleanor smiled and listened without interrupting him or commenting on anything.</p>
<p>- The second one was a neighbor of mine. We had a great time together, but you know what I realized? I think I'm better at friendship. I made quite a few friends. I don't know whether it's because I had millennia worth of practice with you guys or because frienship is just easier. Being together with someone romantically is really enjoyable, but also messy and complicated. I wasn't good at that.</p>
<p>- Nobody is, Michael. I hope it wasn't the blue pill problem, - Eleanor couldn't help herself.</p>
<p>- You're mean. How come they haven't kicked you out of the Good Place yet? – he laughed, - And you shine.</p>
<p>- Huh?</p>
<p>- Your hair shines in the sun.</p>
<p>And then he added:</p>
<p>- I like it.</p>
<p>Tahani was the one to prepare the afterlife test for Michael, which meant she had to study everything that had happened to him on Earth. It felt like a privilege. Right until the moment she learned something she was dying to share with Eleanor. It was wrong to tell her behind Michael's back, and it was unbearable to keep it a secret. So she told Janet.</p>
<p>- What shall we do? Don't you think Eleanor deserves to know?</p>
<p>- I don't think we should do anything. He'll tell her when he's ready.</p>
<p>- But Janet, dear, this situation they put us in is utterly stupid! First, she forbids us to tell him she's here, now this!</p>
<p>- She did tell him herself. It's not up to us, girl.</p>
<p>- Oh, I know. It's just that this gossip bone in my body is acting up. Doing this job, you have no idea how many things I know about the lives of countless people.</p>
<p>- Well, any time you feel as if you're about to spill, call me, girl. These secrets are safe with me.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>- Your hair shines in the sun. I like it.</p>
<p>- I said that. To you. The last reboot, right?</p>
<p>- You did. We were sitting in the sun then too.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Tahani kept reading a few small parts of Michael's file over and over again. He did not get to live a long life, but whatever time he had, he spent it well, generally being a good person, a talented architect, a loyal friend, and a nice neighbor. He was not that good at romantic relationships though. He could not have been. Because they were with the wrong people. There was only one person it might have worked with. He went to bed saying good night to her, knowing that she could not hear him but hoping she would somehow. He thought of her the moment he woke up. Embarrassingly enough, he was even caught mumbling her name in his sleep a couple of times, which might have contributed to the whole 'not good at relationships' pattern. He felt that their last conversation was not good enough to be the last. He did love being a human and living his life. And he hated the fact that she was not in it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>- So, Michael, what was your afterlife test about?</p>
<p>- Being honest. With myself and others. Telling the truth. And I can't say I passed with flying colors, unfortunately.</p>
<p>- You're here, arent't you? I'd say you did.</p>
<p>- There's something I just can't bring myself to admit.</p>
<p>- Is it about something you did on Earth?</p>
<p>- Something I didn't. Couldn't. Didn't have. I'm incoherent.</p>
<p>- Hey, hey… Relax. You have all the time in the world now to reflect on whatever it is.</p>
<p>- No, Eleanor, please, let me say it! I… There's one thing I truly regret. It's that you weren't there with me. That we didn't share this journey. That I left you here. I wish… I wish I could have spent my life with you while I was there. It was good. But it was never going to be perfect without you.</p>
<p>He was afraid to look at her.</p>
<p>- Michael, I…</p>
<p>- You don't have to say anything. I'm just grateful you listened. And happy that I made myself say it out loud in time.</p>
<p>- In time for what?</p>
<p>- Before you walked through the door.</p>
<p>- I think when I finally decide to, I'd rather do it together with somebody else. Someone without whom it'll never be perfect. Someone with whom I'd happily go through the Bad Place time and time again. Someone bold enough to question the whole afterlife system and choose to quit being a deamon to become an angel, and what's even crazier – quit being an angel to become a human being. Someone worth waiting for and growing infinitely old with.</p>
<p>Michael finally turned his head to face her, his eyes glistening. She placed her hand on his cheek and stroked it gently with her thumb. Nothing had ever felt like this.</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>